Last Night on Earth
by Hidden-Monster
Summary: In the tense hours preceding their return to Asgard and Loki's subsequent trial, Thor has time to reflect.
1. Chapter 1

He allowed them to place the restraints over his wrists and body quite willfully. That in itself made Thor nervous, but everyone else had grown to equally mistrust their captive. They handled him carefully, scarcely allowing Loki any chances to move of his own freewill.

"His mouth as well," Thor instructed. "He has ways of conjuring spells that could remove him from these bonds."

"You know I'm fully capable of sorcery without saying a word," Loki countered with great satisfaction.

"I have a feeling that he's just tired of listening to you, but wanted to be nice about it," Tony Stark remarked as the metal object was secured around Loki's face. Stark, as it turns out, was a man who retained a great collection of items to confined an individual. "I have a lot of enemies," he stated as an explanation. "And some of it is just for fun."

When the majority of the team had taken their leave, needing to rest, as mortals did, Stark was the last to remain. After giving him a rundown of the guards stationed within and around the building, he presented Thor with two firearm weapons.

"I've heard through the grapevine that tranquilizers work on your kind. As for armor-piercing bullets at close range, I'll leave it up to you two to find out."

Thor was past the point to be offended and he'd also grown to know that this was Tony Stark's normal way of speaking to others.

"Thank you."

After all, not only was he allowing them to use his building, which had been particularly destroyed by Loki, to confine him overnight, but Stark was also providing security forces. An detail which would not benefit in keeping his brother confined by any means, but would greatly help in keeping humans away from their location.

Finally they were the only ones left, save for the guards stationed nearby. The previous day Thor had so much to speak to him about. Even now, new questions pondered in his mind. Did he hate him always? So easily had he attempted to murder one who grew up beside him for over a millennium. Was all of the affection they shared just another one of his deceptions? Just a method to bring a victim close enough to drive his knife into the precise location.

But so pointless to submit these thoughts to his brother. He'd laugh, offer some accompanying insults, or just directly lie while slinging accusations that existed only within his mind.

Loki lay still in the adjoining room. Not a traditional prison cell, not even by Midgard standards, but a rather a secured metal gate designed to kept one confined within the space. In addition, the shackles allowed him only enough movement to lay on his stomach and rest his head against his folded arms. Which he did so while facing the wall.

Outside the barred enclosure, Thor sat in silence while watching over his motionless form. Sirens and commotion continued outside their dwelling. This was apparently the legacy they were to leave upon Earth, Thor pondered morbidly. Their father protected it, but now his sons could only seem to bring destruction and mayhem when they frequented to this plain.

As if reading his thoughts, Thor was shaken to suddenly find Loki standing before him. A quick glance to his left also confirmed that Loki was still residing within his cell as well, but had now turned his head to watch their interaction.

The vision spoke, "You're putting Asgard in danger if you take me back there."

"I didn't realize you thought of me this much a fool!" Thor roared to both two visuals of his brother.

"My allies will come after me since I have not been successful. They will destroy anything in their path."

"What do you expect me to do?"

"Release me and I will not interfere with the realms of Midgard or Asgard ever again. I will disappear. Never to cause harm upon you or anyone you hold dear ever again."

"That's impossible."

"Or you can kill me. Tell your teammates, mother and father that you had no choice."

"You may find this hard to believe, but I could never kill my own brother. Blood or not, we were raised as such."

"And you only see the small details, never the bigger picture. Your bad decision could mean the deaths of many more you love. But when all is said and done, you could not claim I did not try to warn you."

The illusion faded out for a second, until Loki returned to give one last closing remark.

"I've grown weary now, you'll never know how much of my will and concentration it takes to do this." And just like that, the speaking version of his brother disappeared.

Thor then focused his attention upon the real Loki, who turned his head away once again. He would let him have the last words if it would keep him content for the remainder of the night, Thor decided. And if Loki's threat was genuine, it would be dealt with in due time.

Tony Stark returned in the early hours of the day, wearing a light colored suit and looking refreshed despite claiming that he was not one for sleep. Thor jested that he may have Asgardian blood somewhere among his ancestors, while sharing the fact that his people did not always require the nightly rest that Earth mortals did.

Contradictorily, Loki hadn't stirred since their last conversation. For ten hours, he laid over the fabric lined floor, with only his back noticeably moving on occasions.

As such, Stark's presence was a welcome distraction on this, Thor's last night on Earth. Quickly and matter-of-factly, the lithe man rattled off the details about the construction of the device that would transfer them back to Asgard. The majority of the credit went to Banner and Erik Selvig, who had similarly gone through a sleepless night in order to put his knowledge and experience of the Tesseract to use.

At least a call was received. Stark's men carried out his order, directing them towards a plain vehicle parked outside his building. Silently they rode to the decided upon destination, an area located among a famous park in the city.

"We'll be home soon," were the only words he spoke to Loki. Just to clarify to his brother what was occurring, incase he had not overhear the details himself.

Everyone, including Erik, was there when they arrived. The Midgard warriors were dressed in their plain everyday attire. Thor liked to think they were there to wish him off as a friend, but mainly he knew they were only there to make sure Loki was gone for good. And he didn't blame them.

Before turning the handle to activate the mechanism, Thor granted himself one lasting look at his surroundings. He knew Earth would not be lost to him forever. When he returned much of the cities and landmarks would still remain, the pasture would be green as ever and perhaps the trees might just be slightly taller.

But Jane, who was so close, might not. So for now, he still had to hold onto that last memory of her.

That moment just before he returned to Asgard.

Because of Loki.

Just as he was doing now.


	2. Chapter 2

Watchful Heimdall had expected them, as did a few of their closest friends and his father's personal army, the Crimson Hawks, all who were crowded near the spot of their return. Feeling it was no longer needed, Thor removed the metal band around his brother's mouth.

He immediately spat upon the floor. Highly uncharacteristic for Loki, who was never anything but poised in front of others, but probably expected for someone who had been gagged for the last 12 hours. The room stared in silence nonetheless. So it was Loki who spoke first.

"Did you miss me?" he quipped in a distasteful tone towards the assembly of watchers.

Since Loki's disappearance the previous year, the public word was that their short-lived king had perished during the invasion of the Frost Giants and the subsequent destruction of the Bifrost. But now all pretences were done away with as the fallen prince was marched through the streets in chains.

Still, Loki took it all in stride, silently chuckling whenever he was recognized by any passing spectator. It was only fortunate that the people viewing the proceeding could not hear the words he muttered under his breath.

"Your time will come next, if they will do this to a king, why not a commoner?"

"Yes, lead the Frost Giant to death. Kill all the Jotuns!"

Thor was beginning to think that Loki had truly gone mad, but when they entered the palace, a type of calm came over his brother. Or perhaps it was guilt at last, Thor speculated. For it seemed a type of apprehension was building up in Loki's mind, based on the way he began uneasily glancing around their spacious chambers.

Walking beside the members of the Crimson Hawks, who had obviously been given prior instructions, Thor followed them and Loki into a side room within their great home. This was the servant's dinning area. A place he only recognized from visiting it on rare occasions as a child.

Time passed in tense silence until a servant arrived to set out a plate of warm bread on the long table before them. Loki, suddenly hesitate in his actions, reached for a single slice to consume, before eventually trying to cram all the pieces into his mouth. Thor turned away, not sure whether he wanted to witness what was either a clever act on his brother's part or the display of a broken man. The possibility of the latter gnawed at his conscience as Loki repeated this action on the second course of meat and cheese.

Finished with his meal, Loki miraculously gained back the stamina he had displayed the previous day. And with that he was uprooted from his seat and led out of the room. Thor lingered behind however, choosing to no longer be a participate of the dramatic affair at hand.

An action which apparently did not go unnoticed by Loki, as it turned out. Dragging his feet, he stopped and looked directly back at Thor. Smiling, he declared, "I hate you," clearly and plainly before allowing the men to walk him away.

How well his brother knew him, that was the tragedy of it. For although these words were chosen to hurt him, had they been the very last thing Loki ever said to him, they would be even more devastating. Hence Thor spent the next few minutes silently praying to his ancestors. Trying to convince them to aid his father's hand towards an act of mercy.

And when it seemed enough time had passed, he reentered the open venue of their palace. From all appearances it seemed his timing was right. The guards stood properly at their mark while his father sat tall and dignified upon his golden throne overlooking them all. Everything was as it should be with no signs that his brother had left his mark on any of them.

"You are late," Odin stated. His voice was loud enough to be audible to all in his presence, but was not necessarily meant to be harsh in this moment.

"I did not wish to be a spectator to such an event."

"A wise decision I wish we all could have choose. But you trust my judgment, am I correct? "

Short of any other response, Thor confirmed his father's statement.

"And would accept my decision without dispute?"

Again, the answer could only be yes.

"Then I must instruct you to not have any further interactions or words with the prisoner, Loki Laufeyson. Asgard thanks you for your duty."

And that was all there was to be said on the matter from their king. Thor's silent pleas were answered. His brother lived while having the privilege of bestowing the final insult between them. What more could he have done for him?


	3. Chapter 3

A few servants were situated around of the hallway, which lead to the lower chamber of rooms Loki had claimed for his own some time ago. Observing further, Thor noticed they were actually carrying pieces of furniture out. Considering the strong possibility that the next phase of Loki's sentencing involved them removing any traces of his brother, he followed their trail.

His sudden presence flustered the room, sending the attendants to reposition themselves along the wall. The cleared space thus revealed his mother in the middle of the commotion.

She held out her arms to him, to which he surrendered into.

"He didn't mean what he said," were her first words. Obviously she had received a detailed witness account of Loki's behavior upon his return.

"I care not what he means or says," Thor responded. "It is done now. But why are you here? Why are you moving his things?"

"I simply wanted to make him comfortable…where he has to stay."

"Does father approve of that?"

"Your father does not have a say in what I choose to do with Loki's belongings."

"You treat him too kindly."

"Nor do you, I'm regretful to inform you, my son," she was quick to retort back.

Thor didn't mean to offend her. But he also did not feel he needed to justify his words, if they spoke the truth.

"The actions of the last few days," he stated desolately. "I underestimated Loki."

"I think we all did."

"Perhaps when I believed he was dead, somehow the past evil deeds became lesser in my mind. I thought I could reason with him, I believed that would be enough.."

Frigga softly tried to interpose his words.

"Thor.."

"But I see now that my brother, the one I once knew, is truly dead He may never had existed at all. Based on what I've seen, I now would not put it pass him to keep up such an act for the majority of the years we grew up together. The murders, the manipulations; all done for the sake of his ego, his pride."

Thor could have left his statement at that, but unfortunately in his rare outpouring of confined thoughts, he was forced to reveal one last detail which troubled his mind.

"Yet you act as if he's done nothing wrong."

His mother paused and gave a bitter smile. This was her greatest defense. Calmly she replied, "He's here. And he's alive. Very recently, I couldn't dare to dream of such a possibility to come to pass. Therefore I do not question what else has occurred. I shall simply be content with whatever blessings the fates bring me."

Thor turned, deciding not to mention anything more that would darken her spirits. But still she called to him, as any doting mother would, asking why he was leaving her company so soon.

"War still rages in Nidavellir. Loki may be safely locked away at last, but those affected by the destruction of the Bifrost still have to contend with what his indiscretions have brought forth."

In a soft voice, she said, "I'm sorry, Thor."

Thor could still hear it despite his best effort to walk away while it was spoken.


End file.
